Mavs fans line up early to snap up championship gear at Dallas sporting goods stores

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Louis DeLuca/Staff Photographer

Fans celebrate outside the arena after the Mavs beat the Miami, at the watch party at the American Airlines Center in Dallas for Game Six of the NBA Finals between the Dallas Mavericks and the Miami Heat in Miami on Sunday, June 12, 2011.

Many stores opened late Sunday after the Mavs historic win and quickly sold out, but others were prepared for the morning run on merchandise.

Nicole Tatum was first in line at the Sports Authority off Park Lane in North Dallas. Her arrival time: shortly before 6 a.m.

Tatum said she was there to get championship shirts for her father, who was out of town in Atlanta, and her cousin, who is serving in the military in Kuwait. She said the family used Skype to allow her cousin to watch the game over the Internet.

“I was hollering for the last five minutes,” she said. “We were all Skyping watching the game.”

Trina Holmes arrived at the store after working the night security shift at the Dallas Market Center.

“I’m tired, but it’s going to be worth the wait,” she said, standing in line with about 40 other people.

Sheralyn Siebert had an armful of Mavs merchandise at Academy Sports and Outdoors at Forest Lane and North Central Expressway.

“We just want everybody to be decked out,” she said. “This is so exciting.”

She spend an hour waiting in line Sunday night but managed to buy only a few items. She was back in the morning to show her pride.

“They did it right,” she said of the home team, “and they did it respectfully.”

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